Senator John Faulkner has just delivered the 2011 Wran Lecture, where he damned the party machinations and career motivations that hinder community engagement in Australian politics. Senator Faulkner represents the honest, the old-school and the fiercely idealistic face of the Australian Labor Party. In his
2011 Wran Lecture, Falkner challenges his own party to respond to the
decline in political party memberships and the rise of non-partisan community groups such as
GetUp!, by engaging communities in politics and respecting the contributions of grassroots activists. This comes after
the recent publication of
the 2010 review conducted by Faulkner,
Steve Bracks (former Victorian State Premier), and
Bob Carr (former NSW State Premier):
a roadmap to reforming Labor. Responses to the Wran Lecture are,
predictably,
mixed. (Incidentally, Faulkner has a
bit of a fan-club thanks to his determination to retain his
preferred choice of eye-wear throughout the decades.)
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace
on Jun 9, 2011 -
44 comments
"
Despite promises that the 43rd Parliament would be kindlier and gentler, it has been characterised by vitriol in question time, a Prime Minister labelled a liar - and outside Parliament, a bitch - and an Opposition Leader called an extremist. Both sides complain the other is mean." [
So much for kinder, gentler politics]
posted by vidur
on Apr 17, 2011 -
35 comments
The Soapbox is a collection of photographs, texts of speeches, transcripts of debates and political ads from Australian election campaigns (both State and Federal) from 1901 to the present day. More materials will be added when they become available.
posted by Effigy2000
on Oct 25, 2007 -
3 comments
And we're off! Prime Minister John Howard has set the date for the Australian Federal election as November 24th, meaning we're up for a long six-week campaign. With Kevin Rudd leading the PM by
between 16 to 18 points (depending on who you read) in recent opinion polls, this election seems the most likely to provide a change of Government since Howard was first elected 11 years ago. Antony Green's usual excellent election guide is
up and running here, along with an
excellent calculator which shows which seats are up for grabs dependent on a
2 party preferred swing. You might also want to check out the
Vote-O-Matic, a fun but entirely disposable quiz which aims to help you decide who you'll vote for.
[more inside]
posted by Effigy2000
on Oct 13, 2007 -
603 comments
